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Ramzi Uta
Ramzi Uta was First Brother of the Blazing Temple, succeeding Rodrigo Bartolomeu. Origins Ramzi was one of three Tzaltec children to arrive at the Blazing Temple in 525. They claimed to be runaways from the Frontier region of Guilder but their accent was noted as being peculiar, too precise and consistent to be of Guilderene origin and too broad to have been learned at a simple orphanage as they claimed. The First Brother himself met with the children and after a lengthy private discussion with them informed Rodrigo he wished to have the young children taught in the ways of the Temple and instructed of Temple teachings but that they should be moved to and remain in the Umajin Frontier to carry out their training and service of the Lord, ostensibly to keep them far and away from the Tzaltec. A message was in turn sent to the Tyranny informing them any visitors from the lands of Tzalteclan, if there were to be any, were requested not to be left unattended in the lands of the Frontier. Another was sent to the faithful of the Lord residing in Bjurnja requesting the family that held the Stones to watch for Tzaltec ships and write to the Temple if they saw any pass through the strait.http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19151964&postcount=1183 Rise to Power Ramzi first came to wider attention during the Temple's attempt to deal with the Bale Horse. While his fellow Brothers and Sisters sang, he approached the creature with a ceremonial dagger in hand. Without the caging power of the Lord's hymns the beast would no doubt have destroyed him but weakened by the voices of the Brothers and Sisters and their flock Ramzi was able to raise his dagger to meet the flaming hell horse and drive it into its chest, ending the beast's life in a flash of fiery light that left the singing faithful and Ramzi himself unharmed, though many onlookers whose faith in the Lord had faltered were not so lucky. He quickly gained a name for himself following his instrumental actions in containing the Bale Horse threat and returned to the Blazing Temple to be recognized by First Brother Rodrigo. To the surprise of many at the Temple, Rodrigo's recognition was his endorsement of Ramzi for selection as First Brother as well as Rodrigo's announcement of his own retirement. Though he had served as Charles' protege and chosen heir, Rodrigo had never possessed the stomach for politics or an particular degree of organizational skills. Rodrigo believed Ramzi had demonstrated both, as well as a devotion to the Faith, in his work down in Cridan and while Charles had expressed some concern about those who had come from the eastern continent and their potentially having been subjected to Wesley-esque reprogramming when he had still been alive, Rodrigo claimed they had proven themselves time and time again and the Bale Horse was only the latest in that record. With a sterling reputation, and the endorsement of the resigning First Brother, Ramzi was selected to head up the Temple as First Brother without opposition. Ramzi's first act was to issue an instruction to continue to look for the Blazing Avatar's reincarnation, noting that it has been some years since the comet marking the birth of the next Avatar was witnessed. He also continued the spread of the faith in the Kingdom of the Silver Moon and according to gossiping pilgrims the new First Brother had been in talks to meet with the new Emperor of the Silver Moon to discuss something of significant importance to the Temple and to the Silver Moon. Tenure as First Brother Early in Ramzi's time as First Brother, the Empire of the Silver Moon collapsed into civil war. The Temple's most devout and devoted Brothers and Sisters were sent to minister to the people of the Silver Moon and Ramzi issued a bull calling for all loyal to the Lord to lend their assistance to Emperor Cedrik fighting against the infidels in his lands. The preachers promised salvation and mercy to those who accept the Lord and lay down their arms but further promised suffering and punishment to those who work against the Lord, their descriptions as gruesome and torturous as those preached during the reign of the Order of True Flame in Celero many centuries ago.http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19430889&postcount=1338 Following the discovery of avatar candidate Adylla Jarrow Divinorum and another in Valterre, Ramzi called for them to be brought to the Temple along with Greta, the former Avatar returned by the ministrations of the Everburning Horde. When the Valterran candidate was abducted, Greta and Adylla were watched and guarded day and night by the Temple and kept under close observation to ensure they remained safe. Ramzi issued a Bull that the kidnappers of the Avatar candidate in Valterre were sinners of the highest order and would be subject to an untold amount of suffering at the wrath of the Lord and his servants here on Telluris. Once again the First Brother encouraged all good and loyal adherants to the Flame to send aid to the faithful and noble emperor beset on all sides by common and backwards pagans. Once again missionaries were sent though the First Brother displayed some degree of caution and directed them to limit their activities to Valterre, deeming to return to Malkavan once the rebel forces are driven from it. Surprisingly, and in a break from the doctrine laid forth by First Brother Charles, Ramzi authorized the dispatching of missionaries to the lands of Calorum, noting their recent activity in attempting to spread their religion and stating it was time for that schism to be closed and the heretical beliefs straightened out and matched to canon. Ramzi gave a sermon extolling the virtuous acts of the Divonorums and recognizing them as saintly figures and blessed by the Lord, but insisted that the true chosen of the Lord were not yet revealed to the faithful on this earth though he believed they did already exist and walked among the people. Starting in the winter of 364, none but Brothers and Sisters of the Temple were permitted to set foot upon Temple grounds. Monks of the Temple journeyed down to collect bread from the swelled number of faithful in Lyradis, the couriers no longer permitted to journey up the mountain themselves. Black smoke and fire were spotted over the Temple at night but questions were turned away by the Brothers and Sisters who acted as though mute when interacting with the outside world. Seclusion In mid 365 a select number of pilgrims from Lyradis and elsewhere where the Faith burned deep were permitted to travel up the road to the mountain's peak and over the course of the rest of the year did not return back down the mountain. Missionaries met concerned families at the base of the mountain in Lyradis and ministered to them and their friends, cautioning trust in the Lord, the Avatars, and the First Brother. The First Brother announced the test for determining the true Blazing Avatar must wait until the candidate from Valterre had been safely delivered to the Temple but despite this still spent much of his time communing with Greta and Adylla in private sessions. The nature of their discussions remained between themselves. Revelation In the year 567, after the discovery of the death of the Valterran Avatar, the pilgrims from Lyradis and elsewhere where the Lord held sway were returned to the lands below, all bearing the robes of Brothers and Sisters of the Temple. When asked of their time at the Temple, they explained they were shown the truth of the Lord, having glimpsed his true form in the fires of the Temple's braziers and learned of the Lord's true purpose at the feet of the First Brother and Avatars Greta and Adylla Jarrow Divinorum. The Brothers and Sisters preached that the murder of the Valterran candidate has demanded the Temple move to make the Faith take a stand. These new Brothers and Sisters return to their homes and preach of the coming revelation, having been witness to a great truth of the Lord that all who follow His Blazing Truth will soon have revealed to them. In the Summer of 568 Ramzi issued invitations to all faithful nations of the Lord to come and bear witness to the truth and revelation that he has had. The Temple swelled with pilgrims and servants of the Faith the likes of which were unknown since the times of Adam. Ramzi, wizened and dark of skin, presented himself from the central Temple, flanked on right and left by Greta and Adylla. Despite his age and the massive throng of people, his speech was heard by all. Ramzi announced the revelation he claimed to have been given by the Lord, preaching unification of the creeds of Tzetultep and the Lord of Fire. He further announced the divine punishment of Stuyvesant for the murder of the Valterran Avatar. With that the First Brother clapped his hands and Brothers and Sisters from within the crowd began to come forward, kneeling down in a circle within the plaza of the Temple grounds and beginning to pray. The crowd, still stunned and reeling from the speech of the First Brother was only taken aback further as the faithful brothers and sisters began to shed their robes and ritualistically take their own lives with knives hidden from sight until that moment. All in the circle quickly fall in death, knives sticking from their breasts: all told nearly one hundred faithful taking their lives. Across the continent, in Nyroth, a great pillar of fire descended from the sky, striking deep into Black Rock Crater and burning away the ground, lighting the ground and air on fire with its heat. Witnesses were awed by the terrible might and some even claimed to have seen the head of a dragon in the sky above. Whether the sign truly ended Stuyvesant remained unknown for no body was found in the crater once the column of flame ceased.http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19661547&postcount=14 Deposition Following the revelation of Ramzi, Elwyn of Sobrida and his cousin and counsellor Simovyr Jarrow Divinorum, the Triad of Fire in the Salterri Imperium, declared they would travel to the Blazing Temple to discover the truth of the new doctrine. On the slopes of the mountain leading to the Temple, Simovyr and Ramzi met and held a debate, Ramzi attempting to rebut each of the charges Simovyr levelled against him. Simovyr however was not convinced and called upon the Lord of Fire to judge the matter conclusively. He called upon the Lord to smite Nezetkhamun if the doctrine espoused by Ramzi was false, the great dragon having attended to attempt to stop an attack on the Temple. To Ramzi's horror, Nezetkhamun was indeed struck down by a pillar of flame and he himself badly burned. In the aftermath, it was clear that Ramzi's position was untenable and Simovyr became the head of the Temple by default, albeit he did not take the formal title of First Brother. References Category:Humans Category:Characters Category:Religious Figures Category:Characters of Telluris